It was so nice to sleep in this morning until 8:00 especially since I was up last night with a little stomachache-damn garlic shells! It was nice not having the pressure to make miles and just hike 10. Funny how it's JUST 10 miles now, when the first week 8 miles was hell. I took my time and then left camp asking the others if they were going to the restaurant, I gave them the details and said maybe I'd see them there. I walked a nice easy 4.1 miles to the bed and breakfast. It was right off the trail on the main road but it was only 11:00, they opened at 12:00. What a shitty location for a B&B I wouldn't want to vacation there, it just looked like a restaurant. I went around back and sat and talked with a hiker until he headed out. I laid out my sleeping pad and enjoyed the relaxation. This was so nice. Once it was closer to 12:00, I moved around to the front and sat. Tigger, another hiker showed up and we talked until the rest of the gang showed up and they opened up inside. I went in and got a table for us all, ordered a water and a Blue Moon to start and then a bacon BBQ burger with sweet potato fries. We sat and enjoyed ourselves for awhile and charged our phones. I grabbed a selfie of us all before heading into the woods. Tigger said the trail continued straight so off I went; no blazes...I was lost. I came out to a dirt road on my left and a path to my right, should I try the path or go back the way I came? In hopes that it connected back with the AT, I walked down it and thank god it did! I found a whole roll of toilet paper on the trail...kinda odd. The hike wasn't bad until knifes edge, and well-that was scary as shit. Basically it was a narrow, high, boulder path that I held my breath for. It was one of those things that you stared up at and said, "I hope I'm not going up there...oh shit, I am." When that point hits there is no turning back, you know forward is your only option so you just get through it. It was pretty crazy not going to lie. After that I had another boulder scramble with a view which I sat at for a little and enjoyed. After, I walked into some great trail magic! I was still full from lunch but I had a banana, chocolate chip cookie, poweraide, and a hotdog! Hey I'm only a mile from the shelter, now I don't have to make dinner. I sat and enjoyed the rest and conversation. It had been awhile since I've gotten that so it was appreciated. This is how every day should be! A bunch of other hikers showed up and I stayed awhile until thinking I should go get a campsite. I said my thanks and goodbyes and headed out...well up. I ascended huge rock fields and then descended. The rock is wild. I got to the shelter first and it was located pretty much on the side of the mountain but no view-shitty location. Good tent spot but it was exposed to the sky, so I picked a spot nearest to a tree. Others followed shortly after, and Pinecone went down to look for water but no luck. Cornrow Steve and Pinecone both hammock so they were looking for trees, the couple tented next to me and the boys hung hammocks behind me. No one ended up staying at the shelter. We sat for awhile hanging out, them in a circle outside and me in my tent massaging my feet. I didn't need to eat dinner since I ate at the Trail Magic so a few of them ate snacks and dinner. Tomorrow I only have 7.3 miles! So excited to sleep in again, scramble some boulders, take my time, and then see Mom, Hunter, and Felix! I get to shower! And sleep in a bed! All while sight seeing in Philly and eating cheesesteaks. I just made new friends and now I am getting off for a zero while they continue on. Friends come, and friends go; but they always come and go.
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